Hearts Condemn Us
by LittlePlagueRat
Summary: Manami liked Alice in Wonderland, but had never imagined going through the rabbit hole, or in this case a well, herself. But where was she, exactly? Well, not in Tokyo anymore if the monster that tried to kill her is anything to go by. In search of her cousin and a way back home, she meets someone from her dreams and is lost in a Wonderland that is not so wonderful as it seems.
1. Prologue

**I would like to thank all of you for taking the time to reading this story of mine. Further information will come with the next chapter.**  
 **Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any characters belonging to Rumiko. I do however own parts of this storyline and any original characters appearing in the story.**

* * *

 _Hearts Condemn Us_

 _Prologue_

Things had changed. And there was nothing he could do but go with the currents of time. Letting the flow take him away and have him ride the indisputable current which was never ending, always circling round and round without the beginning meeting its end. The smells, the sounds, everything was as it never was, and so was he. Where had once donned his armour and worn his trusted swords at his side, was now no more than thin cloth that shielded him from the cold he did not feel. And yet he welcomed the warmth it offered, if only for the memories it stirred within him. 

He had been a lord once, ruling over lands and people. Now, he was a man like any other, hiding behind a carefully build facade. At one point he fought with demons, his eyes blazing red and gold, his hands glowing green. But today was not that day, his eyes were a light hazel instead of their rich amber and gold, his hands not emitting the glow which told of deadly poison. 

He didn't dare say he missed it, the time were he could roam free without any restraints. Where his kind walked the earth without much worry about any resistance. And yet here he was, binding himself to his self placed restraints as he worried about the resistance they had all come upon over a century ago. But they survived, he had survived. Together with time's never ending flow they had changed, shifted, and survived. Against all odds they lived, albeit less arrogantly about their presumed strength and untouchability. Ask him two hundred years back and he would've sliced anyone in half for even mentioning him being in such a state. But now, he was at peace with this. For it enabled him one thing, the one thing he wanted most. 

And there she was, once again. Unchanged within this ever changing world. Her hair, her eyes and even her face, height and soft tiny hands remained the same as they had ever been. But most of all her scent, which came to him from the other side of the room, even when dampened with the smell of another on her, was untainted. As pure and ever glowing as he remembered. He shivered as the glow surged trough the room and hit him full front, and he revelled in the power that edged around his own. Oh how he missed her. He was sure she didn't know what she just did, she never did. And in that instant he felt anger, anger at those who didn't feel the warmth she emitted and continued along their way without staring at the marvellous creature that she was. Absolute imperfect perfection. 

He remembered that at one point, she had worn a kimono in his colours. She had danced together with his ward, made flower crowns and told stories of a time far from now. The form she had when pulling back the string of her bow, the holy power encasing the arrow as it hit its mark. Deadly and powerful. Another time she had worn strange clothing from a time to come, talking about walking on the moon and visiting the stars. She was strong then, too. Easily picking up the bow again to stand at his side during the fight against a hanyou that had threatened the peace of Japan once upon a time, long ago. Memories of her came easy to him, but now he wanted not the past, but the future that lay ahead. A day when he would have her at his side again. 

He continued to marvel at her from a distance, he didn't dare get any closer. He feared, but didn't dare admit for what it was he feared. It wasn't time yet, not yet. Focusing on something other than her, he looked at the walls and ceilings of the large ballroom he was in. He would've marvelled at the structure of the building were it not for the stench surrounding every inch of it. Centuries ago, when he was still young, he would've never imagined that humans would ever got this far. Last he checked, they were uneducated if not for the spare few, living in structures of wood and sometimes of rough stone. But this, this attention to detail and effort that went into these buildings they now build was astounding. Perhaps this was humans greatest trait, the strength to grow from nothing to something within the span of merely two or three decades. Whereas they had taken years, and then done nothing. Humans had grown and adapted quickly, new knowledge spread faster than wildfire and with the blink of an eye one world was gone and another appeared. 

People danced in his vision, the overpowering stench that was undeniably human. Even with the spells in place, they did nothing to his sharp senses. She too danced, presumably with her partner and most likely husband of fiancée. If not then the ring on her thin finger surely told its tale in rich gold and diamonds. His eyes followed her movement in the beautiful dress that she wore which clung to her frame. But even without the figure hugging fabric he saw everything that was her. After knowing those shapes and curves by the back of his hand without ever actually having laid a hand on her. He knew that she wanted out, her smile was sweet but it didn't reach her eyes. Behind a carefully constructed facade he could see her, temper rising and biting back comments a woman this day and age shouldn't say. No matter what life she led, it wasn't yet the time where woman were free to do as they pleased. For all the advancements and knowledge, women were still lower than men, uneducated and with lesser rights. Even from the back he could see her muscles near her shoulders tense as the hand of her partner slid to the tantalizing bit of skin showing from the top of her dress. Her posture was rigid, and he knew why. 

And it was then, that the world came to a halt. Their eyes met. Though not in his usual appearance, he knew she recognized him, even just a little. If not so much for recognizing him, there was always a feeling in the pit of her stomach, a pull that would always bring her back to him. What felt like hours were just mere seconds, and he watched her as she excused herself, probably saying something about feeling faint and in need of fresh air. Though her partner wouldn't be far behind, he just couldn't let this chance slip between his fingers. He inched closer to her as she weaved her way through the crowd of dancers. So much grace, so much restrained power and allurement lay in those soft sways of her hips, bouncing of her hair and slight arching of her back. His hands itched to feel her, to rip the barriers of fabric off and hold her close to his being. And before he closed in on her, she vanished. Somewhere she slipped through out of his sight. But no matter, her scent permeated the air around him and would lead him to where she was. 

He was alone then, weaving through an unknown crowd, and yet he was so completely surrounded by all things like her. All things unlike him. Humans, they were. He as inhuman as possible, but appeared as such. And she, so human as inhumanly possible, was another thing altogether. Even after more than two hundred years he had still to see the depth of her being, figure out what she really was, who she really was. He knew plenty, of course, but not enough. Just like her he always wanted more. He often wondered when this obsession started. When had she become the sole reason he stayed sane, the only thing keeping him grounded to the earth? And there she was again, out on a small balcony. 

Then he knew, all over again, why it was her that kept him here. Breathless he looked at her as the night sky paled in comparison to her beauty. The stars created a halo around her head, and the light of the moon lightened up her features. Almost afraid to disturb her, he inched closer slowly but surely. The sounds of the party faded away as he reached her side, putting his hands on the balustrade next to hers. Almost as if she expected him she looked over at him. No fear or fright marred her face, just the ever present curiosity and dare he say amusement lightning her eyes. For several seconds, he looked at her as she looked at him. Her scent was heady and strong, almost making him feel the slightest bit faint. The possibilities that lay before him, all the chances he could take, right now. But he didn't, he knew he couldn't. Not yet, it wasn't time yet. His eyes locked onto her lips as her tongue darted out teasingly. He knew what she was going to say, and even though he had come to hate it he desperately wanted to hear her voice. It hurt him physically to go on without it any longer, yet to hear her say those words hurt just as much. But he couldn't stop the flow of time, and then her lips moved. 

"I'm so sorry, sir. This might seem terribly rude of me, but have we met?"


	2. Chapter I

**Hello there dear readers, this is my second published fanfiction, and I wanted to thank you for taking your time to give this a try! I've had this idea in my head for some time, and finally decided to write it out after watching all of Inuyasha again, for the twentiest time or so, no obsession whatsoever. I'll do my very best to upload at least one chapter every two weeks, if not one every week.  
**

 **I hope that this story flows well, I'm no professional writer nor is English my mother tongue, so please forgive any grammatical errors and the like. If any of you've got anything to say, good or bad, please leave a review!**

 **Disclaimer: Inuyasha and the characters used in this fiction do not belong to me. All that belongs to me is part of the storyline and any original characters appearing in this story.**

* * *

 _Hearts Condemn Us_

 _Chapter I._

Ah, Japan looked as lovely as the day when she left it. The trees, the houses, and most of all the people, she was so happy to be back. From the tiny window in the airplane could see it all without actually seeing it up close. She could almost smell the air, and even though it was the same air als back in England, she found she liked the air in Japan better.

"We will land shortly, please fasten your seatbelts." The voice of the captain came through the speakers, and everywhere people started looking about happily.

She was no exception to this happiness. Her family was down there, waiting for her to walk through the gate and hug them senseless. _'I can't wait to see them! I wonder if Sota has grown since I last saw him? How about Kagome? Has her hair gotten longer, or did she keep it short?'_ She wondered. _'I hope auntie is doing alright! I can't wait!"_

Manami's over excited nerves only calmed at the thought of her grandfather. She had, after all, left without his consent to the other side of the world to follow her heart. _'I want to see him again, but I hope he isn't mad at me.'_ Her heart quivered at the fear of disappointing him, who had taught her so much about the world, if you looked past the false and over exagerated stories.

"We have landed safely at Haneda airport Tokyo, we thank you for flying with Ranair Airlines." The voice of the captain boomed through the plane, again, and it signalised the opening of the doors.

"Finally, that took me only fifteen hours, not so bad." She muttered while unfastening her seatbelt, not bothering to clap with some of the other passengers

Adrenalin from the bumby landing and relief at finally being on the ground, flying was never really her thing, she quickly grabbed her bag and tried to make her way to the door, with the emphasis on trying. People crowded the small passage between the chairs and she immediately found herself pushed back as someone rather big turned around.

 _'Did I just get pushed by a butt?'_ she thought to herself, and glared at the person in front of her but all she saw was that big backside and she immediately redirected her stare upwards. _'Gosh, where is the face of this person? It's all too big I can't find it! Nevermind, I don't want to keep looking at someone's butt, I wasn't brought up to be that rude.' _

Even though she tried her best to remember what her late father taught her about manners, she absolutely hated being cramped up in a small place with a burning passion. Panic set in and she could feel her body beginning to shake. She had to move, and soon.

"Um, could you please move?" She tried to ask the person in front of her, who was dilly dallying without seemingly any reason. But he, or she, didn't hear her. "Hello? Did you hear me, please move I want to get of this plane." Keeping her voice as steady as she could she tried again.

"Huh, oh sorry I didn't see you there." The now confirmed young woman said.

"Thank you, miss." She respond, still trying not to stare at said womans butt, but it was just so big.

Ignoring the snide full comments welling up her throat she moved past the woman and to the front of the plane, where the staff was seeing everyone of with a smile.

"Thank you for flying with us today, we hope to see you again!" One of the male flight attendants said to her, his smile widened at seeing her.

 _'Hmm, that's nice.'_ She thought to herself while giving him a smile back _. 'But I'm not interested.'  
_

Nevertheless, she smiled a small smile back at him, before making her way of the plane and through the tunnel. She wouldn't see him again anyway, but there was no harm in being polite. A smile a day keeps the doctor at bay, or so they say.

 _'No they don't.'_ She sighed. _'Though I wished it worked. The world would be a better place.'_

* * *

"Can you see her, Souta?" A soft womanly voice asked.

"No mom, not yet." A voice of a young boy said. "But Mana should be here soon, right nee-chan?"

"We just heard the plane landed five minutes ago, there's no way she's that fast." Another voice said, this one also feminine but younger than the other one.

"I wonder what's become of my dear granddaughter. Perhaps I can tell her the stories surrounding the Higurashi family, she might be interested in them like before, a pity that she.." An elderly voice piqued before it was cut off.

"No gramps, Manami won't be interested in your dull stories or in the fake items of the shrine." The young woman butted in. "At most, she'll be too polite to refuse you."

"But Kagome, we have a long and interesting history and I want to pass it on, and seeing as my other grandchildren have no interest she might.." The elder continued, but was cut off again, now by the older woman and young boy.

"There she is! I see her!" Both shouted before taking off.

* * *

"Where are they? Didn't they say that they would be waiting near the WacDonalds?" She said to herself, irritation bubbling up in her stomach. "I've been waiting here for over fifteen minutes now."

Mana checked her phone again, and again, and again. Nothing.

 _'Keep calm, they'll be here. They haven't forgotten you, they're just STUPID IDIOTS.'_ she partly shouted inside her head. _'Keep calm, just breathe. In, and out. In, and out.'_

Aaah, this was getting her nowhere. She glanced down at her phone, again. Another five minutes had passed. Was it really that difficult to find her? Mana knew she stood out against her surroundings. Mainly because of her eyes, one a different colour from the other. And her hair was recognizable as well, at least here in Asia it was. So why was it that she saw her family, the one she was waiting for, just a few yards away from her looking around frantically without seeing actually seeing her was beyond her.

 _'Those idiots, how they manage is beyond me.'_ Mana sighed inwardly. _'Let's just go to them before they get lost.'_ She inwardly chuckled to herself, willing the tears that stung in the corners of her eyes down as she waved at the four approaching her.

"There she is! I see her!" The young boy and elder woman shouted after seeing the one they're looking for wave at them.

"MANAMI!" Four voices practically screamed all at once, not caring about their surroundings.

"Hey the.. WAAH!"Manami tried to greet them only to be swept of her feet in an all enveloping hug by her family.

Mana didn't know who was who as all she saw was a blur of dark hair and someone's shoulder, and yet she couldn't care less as she too flew her arms aroud those in front of her instead of breaking her fall downwards. Gravity sucks and her butt hurt, she couldn't care less as the tears she tried to stop from falling from her eyes fell without restraint. Though Mana didn't want to cry, she found her body shaking as soft cries wrecked themselves up her throat. But she wasn't the only one as the three holding were also shaking, if not more violently. Minutes passed and nobody tried to untangle themselves from the others, apart from the older man standing by and watching his family reunite happily, crying himself. But he could wait for his turn at greeting his beloved granddaughter. It took them a full ten minutes before the jumble of human bodies on the ground untangled themselves before they all burst out laughing.

"Well that went well." Manami said with a wide smile on her face. "It's nice to see you all again, Kagome, Auntie Naomi and Souta. You as well, gramps."

"Haha, you can say that, onee-chan." The young woman, now known as Kagome responded, a smile as wide as Manami's on her face.

"Mana-nee! Welcome back!" Bright eyes and a wide innocent smile from the young boy known as Souta said to her. "I'm so happy you're here!"

"I'm happy to be here, too, Souta. I've missed you all" Mana replied, smiling ever wider at the people in front of her.

Both Kagome and Souta released their hold on her, But Naomi had yet to let her go. Manami let her, and revelled in the warmth she felt closed around her being and thought to herself if this is what a mother's warmth would feel like.

"Welcome home, my dear Manami." Naomi said warmly as she pressed her face into the hair of her cousin, no, her child and daughter.

"I'm home, Naomi." Manami responded while she hid her face in the crook of her aunt's neck, biting back the word mother from her lips.

"Ahem." Sounded an elderly voice.

Manami and Naomi both looked over to where the voice came from, and both giggled at the elderly man standing at the side with his arms crossed in front of his chest. His fingers tapped on his arm and he looked at her expectantly. One might have thought him angry, but Manami knew him long enough to know that despite the harsh lines in his face, he was nothing but a sweet and kind old man if not a bit difficult at times.

"Hey there, guv!"Manami said to him, forgoing manners and instead adressing him less polite knowing the word guv stirs his temper, hoping he would get angry at her if only to forgive her.

"Don't guv me young lady, it's grandfather." He said to her pointily, but with a smile on his face.

"Hehe, it's nice to see you too." She replied while gently placing her arms around his tinier frame.

"You've gotten taller again, Manami." Grandfather said as he too placed his arms around her.

Mana held him gently, and took notice that he had gotten shorter since she last saw him. She wasn't tall by any means, reaching about average height, but he barely reached her nose. But even so, she still pressed her cheek against his, revelling in the smell of old paper and incense.

"Heh, you've just gotten shorter, again." Mana joked.

He said nothing in return, but instead wiped the tears that formed at the corners of his eyes as he let her go. She too unlocked her arms from around his shoulders, and instead caressed his cheek for a little bit as he did the same to her. She knew that he had missed her, as she had missed him too. She was his oldest grandchild, the first-born of the new generation of the Higurashi family, who had just returned from a two year stay in London. Instead of continuing her training as a keeper of the Higurashi shrine, she followed her heart and ended up in London to study the modern and medieval languages with a side course of ancient history, going against his wishes but following her own. But now she could see he had never been angry with her for making her own way as he looked at her warmly. And Manami couldn't be happier to know that he wasn't angry at her, which was one of her biggest fears when returning.

"Welcome home, Manami." Her grandfather said, and with it another tear ran down his cheek.

"I'm home." Manami said with the brightest smile gracing her lips.


	3. Chapter II

**Thank you AmyRoseAlice for reviewing :) I'm glad you like it so far!**  
 **Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any characters belonging to Rumiko. I do however own parts of this storyline and any original characters appearing in the story.**

* * *

 _Hearts Condemn Us_

 _Chapter II._

 _'Home sweet home, there's nothing better than one's own bed.'_ Manami thought as she let herself fall down on her bed for the first time in two years. _'Nothing has changed, it even smells the same.'_

She closed her eyes and let her ears take in all the sounds around her. Somewhere in the house she could hear pots and pans moving, telling her that aunt Naomi was preparing dinner. A sound towards the left part of the house spoke to her about games, buttons and a happy Souta. Manami snuggled into her cushion and sighed happily. This is what she had missed the most, the knowledge that she was never alone. That those dear to her were near, being alone yet together. Again focusing on her hearing, she tried to locate Kagome but came up with nothing.

 _'She's most likely studying again.'_ She mused. _'Such a good and clever girl.'_

Though Manami liked studying, she wasn't as overly obsessed as her cousin appeared to be. But perhaps that had something to do with different priorities. To Kagome, school was one of the most if not the most important things in her life right now. Manami had already finished, graduated and was at the point where she could start looking for a job if she didn't want to continue studying. Even in the past, school had never been the most important thing to Mana. But she guessed that's why she liked Kagome so much, being so dedicated to something in such a strong way was something she herself wasn't the best at. Manami preferred to try lots of different things, and of course did her best to get good at the things she did, but never did she try really hard on just one thing. It seemed that Souta took more after her than his own sister, liking school but liking a lot of different things, like games and soccer, better.

 _'I wonder if he still wants to become a professional soccer player, if he's got the skills he might make it.'_ Manami sighed. _'Let's ask Kagome on what she wants to become later, perhaps she still wants to be a princess like in the past.'_

Manami giggled to herself, remembering the days when she played together with her younger cousins. She always played the mean and dangerous dragon, Souta was the knight, and Kagome the princess. And every time she was slain, not by the knight but by the princess. And instead of the knight and princess sharing a loving embrace, she always got a kiss from the princess while she feigned death. Another giggle escaped her lips at the fond memories before she slipped away into a light slumber.

Some kind of light hit her face, and she pulled up her hands in order to shield her eyes from the bright lights. From far away, sounds of something akin to a breath reached her ears. Slowly opening her eyes from behind the shelter of her hands, she found herself lying on a green field underneath a blue sky. _Has daylight always been this bright?_ No answer came. It was then that she realised that she wasn't alone. To the side of her was a young girl. _Who is she?_ Her hair was as black as the oncoming night and skin almost as pale as snow. Her eyes were closed, but her lips slightly parted as she breathed in and out at a slow pace. _Do I know her? Does she know me?_ Her questions echoed inside her head without an answer. For some reason, she knew that behind those closed eyes lay the colour brown. _But how?_

The grass underneath her fingers was soft, but somehow felt unreal. She glanced around and saw nothing but that green grass reaching the horizon. _Where am I?_ Everything about this place was as unfamiliar as it was familiar to her. It felt as if this field was filled to the brim with memories, things she couldn't remember. The same was with the girl next to her. Somewhere in the depths and cracks of her mind was a memory linked to this girl besides her, but she couldn't reach it. She knew that she knew this girl, and that this girl knew her. But from where? _Where is the flower mark?_

Sounds drifted across the fields, and in that instance her attention was drawn elsewhere. _Voices?_ Yes, voices speaking in strange tongues flittered closer and closer. But there was no one there. The fields were empty aside from her and the girl. Yet closer they came, speaking of things unnatural to her, with words she didn't understand. And it was then that it hit her. She knew what they said, she knew this girl next to her and she knew this place. W _hy did I forget?_ Bright light surrounded her before it shifted to complete darkness. Looking over to her left she saw the girl move, eyelids fluttered before opening. Something ran down her cheeks as she watched the girl open her eyes. _They were brown._ The scenery around them shifted. _Am I crying?_ The voices grew louder and louder as the darkness closed in. Something slithered across the edges and fear took hold of her being. _Don't come any closer!_ Her scream went unheard as something took hold of her legs and pulled her into the darkness. And then there was nothing.

 _Not yet, it's not yet time._

With a start, Manami sat up in bed. Her heart beating fast and her breathing going even faster.

 _'Did I have a nightmare?'_ She asked herself, but realised that that wasn't the case. _'No, it was no nightmare, but then why am I afraid?'_

Manami was hardly ever scared, there was the occasional fright and panic, but nothing like this. It felt as if she had just ran a marathon, running from something she rather not have close to her.

 _'If I could only remember what that dream was about.'_ Manami mused. _'It's all a blur, aside from those eyes, they were brown.'_

Even though those eyes hadn't been scary, there had been something in her dreams that had most definitly been scary. Manami couldn't remember ever having a dream like this one before. She usually remembered things like this. Moving about the bed, pain shot up her right leg. Manami looked over and pulled up the bottom of her legging. What she saw shocked her.

 _'A handprint?!'_

"Manami-nee, dinner's readyy!" Souta's voice came from downstairs.

Whipping her head around, she only calmed at the realisation that the voice belonged to Souta.

"Coming!" She shouted back, hand over her ankle.

Downstairs the family gathered for dinner. And though Manami was ecstatic at the thought of eating together with them, her unusual dream had left her distracted even more so than the pain in her ankle. Which was pretty disturbing too, but somehow she found herself accepting the strange bruises and pain over the dream she couldn't completely remember.

"Manami?" Naomi's voice carried to her ears.

"..."

"Manami, are you okay?" Naomi asked again.

"Ah, yes. Just a bit tired is all." Manami responded, a faint smile on her face followed by a tiny yawn.

Her aunt smiled, and dinner went by in a flash. The food tasted wonderful, and she had missed her aunt's cooking. She herself wasn't a bad cook by any means, but there was something melancholy and warm about her aunts food. Smiles and jokes flew across the table, Manami laughed and joked along with them, but in the back of her head those brown eyes looked at her and the pain in her ankle stung badly. And then it was gone, dinner was over and the dishes were drying in the rack. Everybody had gone their own way again, Souta was up in his room playing, Kagome was chatting on the phone with a friend, Guv was watching the news and Naomi was reading some magazine next to him on the couch. Instead of unpacking, Manami readied herself a bath. She was in dire need of some calm and undisturbed time to think, and a bath would help her with that.

Bubbles reached the rim of the tub and Mana eased back in the scalding water. She liked her water hot, nearly painfully so. Often she felt dirty, touched by something, and after a bath as hot as this she felt completely clean. The feeling never left, but it was the idea that counted. And it helped her think, for some reason. Lifting her legs out of the water she stared at the bruises on her right ankle.

 _'It looks too much like a handprint to not be one. But then who had pulled her ankle so hard to bruise it?'_ Manami thought to herself, noting that the size of the hand was rather big. _'It can't belong to a child or woman, the print is too small for that.'_

But her first assumption had been correct. Manami could easily discern four out of five fingers, and part of a hand palm. Then there was the dream, she remembered nothing but the brown eyes. There was nothing but that, no matter how hard she tried to remember she just couldn't.

 _'Aargh, this is so irritating!'_ She inwardly screamed at herself, giving herself a imaginative slap on the head. _'This is not getting me anywhere, just let it go and perhaps things will clear up tomorrow.'_

Manami stepped out of the bath, grabbed a towel and started drying her body, taking care not to put too much weight on her right leg. The mirror fogged over, and with a simple swipe of her hand she saw herself. Only it wasn't her own face she saw reflected. Brown eyes looked back at her, instead of her unusual one green and one silver coloured ones. Her hair, which should've been a mahogany red was now definitely black. With a gasp, Manami inched closer to the mirror.

 _'Is that? No, that can't be..?'_

What looked back at Mana was none other than the girl she had seen in her dreams. Now that she saw the full picture she remembered.

 _'She was right next to me, laying in the grass.'_

But there it stopped. She still couldn't remember anything other than the girl she was looking at. And it was then that the similarities between her face and the one in the mirror struck her. They looked too much alike for them not to be related to one another in some way. Manami blinked, and the girl was gone. Back were her weird eyes and lighter than black hair. Mana shook her head, not knowing what was real and what was not.

 _'What's going on? First some weird dream, then a hand shaped bruise on my ankle and now a girl appearing in the mirror, if that's what really happened.'_ Mana all but whispered in her head, almost as if someone else could hear her thoughts.

The episode in the bathroom had shaken her up considerably, and even now when she sat down on her bed trying to dry her hair she was still having a hard time keeping her hands steady. It wasn't like her to be this shaken, but she had been back for just a couple of hours and weird things started happening. It was like this in the past, when she had lived here at the Higurashi shrine after she lost her parents. Auntie was kind enough to take her in, but as soon as she came here things like that happened. But they also stopped as soon as she left for London. Not one weird or scary dream, no weird vision in a mirror, no nothing.

 _'Seems like my previous assumption of those dreams being nothing more than a child's over-active imagination is dead wrong. So now what?'_ Musing to herself, Manami came up with no answer. _'Hmm, let's just read Alice in Wonderland again, it's never failed in calming me down.'_

Manami picked up the book from her night stand. It had always been one of her favourite stories as a child, and even now she could dream away and find herself at tea parties with strange characters singing weird songs and poems. Hours passed before she slipped away into a deep slumber, this time without any weird dreams about endless grass and darkness. Instead of that was a starry sky, the feeling of flying and something tickling her cheeks.


	4. Chapter III

**I've managed to keep up with the updates so far, and I'll try to do my best to keep doing so. Also, I'm trying to make the chapters longer starting next chapter.**

 **Thank you Lady Silverfor aka Charita Rai; That song was part of the playlist I use for inspiration :) I'm glad the feeling I got from that song came across. And you'll just have to read on to figure out who the hand print is from.  
Also thank you Dickxing; I'm glad you're liking this story so far :) It makes me happy to hear that. It may or may not be Sesshomaru, you'll just have to wait a bit longer ;) **

**Disclaimer:** **I do not own Inuyasha or any characters belonging to Rumiko Takahashi. I do however own parts of this storyline and any original characters appearing in the story.**

* * *

 _Hearts Condemn Us_

 _Chapter III._

The morning sun filtered through the cracks in the curtains, and with a groan Manami woke. _'Morning already?'_ She yawned and stretched her arms towards ceiling.

Several pops and cracks were heard through the room as she arched her back of her mattress in a feline manner and she let her arms fall back onto the bed as she pushed her blanket off with her legs, revelling in the feeling of sleep slowly leaving her system. She felt well rested, considering she still suffered from the jet lag and the weird dream she had yesterday. Lifting her legs towards the ceiling, the rim of her pyjama bottoms slid down towards her knees and Mana inspected her right ankle. She was surprised to find nothing wrong with it.

 _'My ankle no longer hurts, seems like the bruise is also gone.. Did I just imagine it?'_ She thought. _'No, I may have an over-active imagination, but that bruise wasn't a part of it. That's something to think about.'_

Though a bit apprehensive about the disappearing bruise, Manami decided to do something other than lingering on things she couldn't yet explain on her first real day home. She hadn't yet unpacked all of her stuff, so she rummaged through one of her bags containing her clothing and picked out some clothes for the day. After changing she walked over to the tiny sink she had in her room, luckily she had one for she hated waiting on other people to get ready in the bathroom, and splashed some cold water in her face. Looking up, Manami almost thought that the face from yesterday would be in place of her own, but it was her own face that looked back at her. Still, the similarities with the face of that girl and her own were striking. The hair and eyes were a different colour, but the overall shape of the face, the nose, lips and eyes were pretty much the same. Shaking her head, Mana dried of her face and quickly pulled a brush through her hair before settling her long hair in a messy bun, her bangs and some loose strands of hair falling around her face and shoulders.

 _'This'll do, I guess. I still look tired as hell though.'_ Manami thought while pinching her cheeks, hoping to get a bit more colour in her face. _'Some breakfast and then sunlight, that'll do the trick.'_

The smell from breakfast wafted from downstairs, and her stomach growled. With a smile on her face Manami nearly bounced down the stairs with a light step, but stopped as soon as she heard her grandfather on the phone.

"Yes, it's really worrisome that's she's sick so often. Yes, yes."

"Hmm, she is at the doctor right now, she ran low on painkillers."

"No, she'll be fine, but she won't be coming to school any time soon."

"I'll pass it on to her, thank you. Bye."

 _'What a weird conversation? Kagome's sick? But she was just fine yesterday, and this is the first time I heard about painkillers..'_ Her grandfather moved away from the phone and made his way outside, but Manami stood rooted to her spot. Worry filled her entire being and her mind immediately started working overdrive.

 _'What could be wrong with her? How long has this been going on? How often has Kagome been ill? What kind of illnesses? Is she in pain? Does she sleep and eat enough? It isn't some incurable disease, or something of that ilk, right? No it can't be, there aren't any fatal diseases in the Higurashi family line that appear at a young age, only the obvious ones that come with aging.'_ And her thoughts went on and on in the same fashion for several minutes. _'She isn't, I mean, she can't be.. Pregnant? No, she's too responsible for that. Even more so, I don't think she ever even had a boyfriend.. So pure and innocent!'_

Manami couldn't take it anymore, she had to know what was wrong with her cousin of whom she thought of as a little sister. Always had she looked out for her cousins and family, they were all she had. She would do almost anything for them, and if it was necessary she could even kill. With almost inhumane speed she raced into the kitchen, where she knew her aunt was.

"Auntie, where's Kagome?" Manami asked her aunt. "I heard Guv telling the school over the phone that she was sick, but she isn't here.. It isn't something bad, is it? She's going to be alright, right?"

"Oh good morning, Manami-chan. Kagome's fine, dearie. There's nothing to worry about." Naomi fidgeted. "She's just going to be away for a day or three, but she'll be just fine."

" **What** do you mean? She isn't here even though **she's sick**?!" Manami nearly screamed.

"Manami don't worry yourself like that, Kagome isn't sick, she's just going to be away for a couple of days, nothing more. She'll be back soon!" Naomi answered with a smile that told Manami that her aunt wasn't lying.

"Hmm, if you say so." Mana answered, knowing full well that her aunt was hiding something. "Just so you know, I do want a full explanation when she gets back, even if I have to take some drastic measures." A sinister smile formed on Manami's lips, and she saw her aunt falter just a little.

Manami let it go, there was probably a good reason for her aunt's actions. And seeing Naomi smile like that eased the worry in Mana's heart about Kagome's physical condition.

 _'I don't think any mother can smile so fully if her daughter is really ill or anything of the like.. No, it surely isn't as bad as I think it is. Let's wait and see, Kagome shall be back soon and I don't care what I have to do, but I'll make her tell me one way or the other.'_ Manami mused.

After calming down her racing heart and thoughts, she instead worried more about herself. Though she didn't remember her first dream in its entirely, the second was still haunting her with its vibrance. It was a dream she often had when she was younger. Nothing much happened but the feeling she got felt so real, so alive. And then there was that colour of dark silver that lit up so beautifully in the light of the moon, almost like liquid silver. Coupled with that feeling in the pit of her stomach, one that spoke of peace and fullfilment, Manami didn't quite know what she had to make of the dream. And not only that, but after she woke up she felt so refreshed and dare she even say powerful. If not for the disappearing bruise, she would've felt like dancing and singing, but instead she felt dread settle in her stomach.

 _'It's the same dream. But why did it come back now? I haven't had that dreams for five years now. And what about the bruise? I heal fast, but not overnight. I'm no superhuman or the like.'_ Manami walked out of the door, looking for her grandfather. _'Perhaps grandfather knows something, he might be a bit over the top, and most of his stories are nothing but grand tales, but there's some truth to be found in some of them.'_

Going outside, she saw her grandfather sweeping the stone steps going towards the shed at the back. Manami opened her lips but halted halfway.

 _Something pulled_

"What?" Manami said softly. "What was that?"

Manami looked around, trying to see what was pulling her before her eyes settled on a small shed at the farther end of the shrine grounds.

"That is... The Bone Eaters Well..." She managed to whisper.

 _Someone breathed_

Her eyes went wide, her body rigid and her mind blank as darkness took her.

* * *

 _'You need to leave soon, don't you?'_

 _'Yes, the West is calling and there's no one else.'_

 _'I'll look after him, don't worry my friend. He'll be just fine, I promised, didn't I?'_

 _'You, you remember our promise?'_

 _'Of course, we're friends, aren't we? Even though I'm human and you're not.'_

 _'If not for your scent, I would've thought that someone with your power was anything but human.'_

 _'Haha, well, I guess I am stronger than normal humans, but I'm no yokai, even less a daiyokai like yourself.'_

 _'No, but you'd make a fine yokai, miko.'_

* * *

Manami felt herself falling, falling into a deep place inside herself. It felt familiar, this feeling of reaching deep inside a crevasse inside her mind and memories. _Just like that dream.._ Much like Alice, it felt as if she fell through a hole, just not a rabbit hole. And instead of empty jars of marmalade and other things, there were lights flashing by in the darkness. She tried to reach for them, feeling that if she went just a little bit further that she could grasp it, anything, with her hands. _I need to know._ That voice, it wasn't the girl, no. _Who was that?_ Someone else, someone she knew. It had been the voice of a man, and Manami felt her heart warming at the memory of that voice. The warm timbre and gentleness of it soothed her. _But why?_ The other voice had been that of a female, and that one hit home even harder. It was familiar in a way it couldn't be. _It can't be._ More and more lights flashed by, but Manami couldn't reach any of them, no matter how hard she tried, and all the while those voices rang inside her head.

It wasn't time yet. _Not yet._

* * *

"Manami.. Manami?" A voice said. "Do you hear me, Manami?"

"Manami? What happened Grandpa?" Another voice said. "Did she fall?"

"Ugh..."

" MANAMI! Oh dear, she hit her head pretty hard. Stay with her Naomi while I'll get some water and first aid."

"Alright, please try to hurry."

 _'So loud.. Who are they? And why does my head hurt?'_ Even her thoughts were loud, and Manami winced. _'Who's Naomi again? Oh, I think I know...'_ She opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw was the face or her aunt, Naomi, hovering abover her with a concerned expression on her lovely _face. 'I remember, I think that's a good thing..'_

"Manami, Manami are you alright?" Naomi asked her.

"Ugh, yeah I think so.. My head hurts like a bitch though." Manami responded groggily.

"You fell down and hit your head, dearie. But hearing you speak like that I think you'll be fine in a little bit. Grandpa is getting you some water, until then just take it slow, okay?" Her aunt smiled at her, some of the worry leaving her eyes.

"Hnn, great.. So that's why I feel like I've just grown a second head or something on my head." Manami said, a little bit clearer this time round. "How long have I been out of it, auntie?"

"I think for just a minute. I didn't see it happen, but I heard Grandfather shout your name, and then I came running." Naomi said. "You were on the ground, unconscious. When I came running

Her aunt just smiled, again, but Manami couldn't smile back at her. The voices she just heard still rang loudly in her ears. She couldn't say that she heard voices, even more so because she didn't hear them in her head, but as if they were spoken out loud.

 _'Things are getting curiouser and curiouser since I got back.. I mean weirder..'_ Manami thought while still laying down on the stone pavement. _'Old dreams, voices and visions.. Forget asking Grandpa, I think I am in need of a shrink. I thought I was finally done with that part, but I guess I'm wrong.'_

From afar, she could hear Grandpa coming closer in hurried steps. Above her, Naomi looked over and said something, but Manami wasn't listening. Instead, she tried to think back to the voices she heard. Strangely, she had difficulty remembering the male voice, but the female one came to her with ease. And that was just the one she didn't want to remember.

 _'That female voice.. That was without a doubt my voice.'_


	5. Author's Note

Hello everyone, I'm so sorry for this but I have to tell you all that due to some things interfering with my life at present, so this story has been put on hold, indefinitely. I don't like author's notes myself but find myself incapable of not doing one.

When I came back from vacation I had every intention of continuing where I left off, but then found out that my computer had crashed, and as such I lost everything I had which includes the plotline and future chapters I had written out. This really put me down as I had the entire plotline and twists already written out in case I forgot anything, which I have, so I need to start all over.

Also, some family things happened along the way and also some personal problems surfaced, and as such have a heavy writers block and simply no time whatsoever to write and start over for this story. I tried to write another chapter but found myself unable to do so.

I hope to get back to this story eventually, but looking back on it I can't say I'm pleased with the way it's going and how I've written it, so if I am going to continue this one I will rewrite it in order to get it back on track and hopefully remember what my plans were for this one.

Again, I am sorry for this but I thank all of you for reading and commenting so far and I hope to see you all again in the near future!


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